Wash-down plug



mil 29, 1924.

R. A. WILSON WASH DOWN PLUG Original Filed May 6, 1921 ill! 2, 1

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/I ooo N [l o o o T J vom m o Patented .Apr.'29, 1924.

UNITED STATI-:ls

PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT A. WILSON, OF DALLAS, TEXAS, ASSIG'N'OR TOGUIBERSON CORPORATION,OF l DALLAS, TEXAS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE. l

WASH-DOWN PLUG.

Application led Hay 6,1921, Serial No. 467,358. Renewed Iaroh 13, 1924.

To all 'whomz't may concern.' v

Be it known that I, ROBERT A. WILSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Dallas, in the county of Dallas and State of Texas, haveinvented certain new and useful Im rovements in Wash-Down Plugs, ofwhlch the following is a specification.

-This invention relates to newand useful im rovements in wash down plu tfrequently occurs that be ore a well can be plu ged to-cut off the iowof bottom water, mu and sand will rise in the casing,

because no means is available forl umping .out the well below the plugas t e latter is lowered. v

The object of this invention is to provide means for keeping `the mudand sand in suspension by permitting a circulation of water thru theplug while the same is being lowered in the casing and at the same timepreventing the upward passage of water, sand and mud beyond the valve asit descends in the well and when finally seated.

A construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafterdescribed'together with other features of the invention.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of thefollowing speciv thru the same while it is cation and by reference tothe accompanying drawings, in which an example of the invention is shownand wherein:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of a plug constructed in accordance with myinvention and in an expanded and unpacked condition, the well casingbeing shown in section,

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional detail on an enlarged scale showin thebottom nipple and the valve employed therewith,

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional -detail on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, v v

Fig. 4 is an enlargedvertical sectional view of the upper sectlon of thedevice, and

Fig. 5 is an underside View of one of the grilpping slips.

have ilustrated my im roved wash down plug in vconnection wit a type ofstructure which isv set forth in the atent to E. V. Crowell, No.1,330,430, issued) February 10, 1920, and a companion application Ser. No. 467,357 filed of even date herewith, but it is to be understood thatthe improvement consists in arranging the plug so that a circulation ofliuid may be had eing lowered 1n -slidein .said counter bore.

the well and also theprevention of a back dr upward flow above'the plug,therefore, the exact structure ofthe plug is immaterial, so long as itis adaptable to the application ofthe invention thereto.'

As a matter of convenience I have illustrated my invention in connectionwith thev collar 16 which is internall screw threaded and receives theupper en of a nipple 17.'

Each vane has suiicient length to extend from the flange 12 to-thecollar 16 when in its extended position.v The core 10 passes axiall thruthe vanes and telescopes into the nipple 17.

At its lower. end the nipple is provided with a frusto-conical countervbore 18 in which a plurality of annular wed e shaped slips 19 arearranged. I have ilustrated three of such slips, but `it is to beunderstood that the number'may be varied. Each slip has its innervertical face provided wit teeth and its outer face inclined atsubstantiall the same angle as that of the counter ore, whereby saidslips will freely ner 19 of each slip 19 is slightly vreduced so as toobviate a point which would otherwise ride on the surface of the counterbore and possibly score the same.` The slips are supported in thecounter bore by aretaining ring 20 which` is screw threaded in the lowerend of the nipple. The lower end of the nipple is externally screwthreaded and inserted inthe upper end of the usualanchor pipe 21. Thecore 10 slides thru the slips At their lower .ends the The outer corl 19and the ring 20, and projects into the anchor 21.

The part ll'constitutes a head for driving the core downwardly thru .thenipple 17. It will be seen that the core is free to move downwardly thruthe slips 19, but the re- 'ward the collar 16, the

lation between the teeth of the sli s and the core is such that upon anupwar movement of said core, the slips w1 l be carried upwardly in thecounter bore 18, whereby the teeth will bite into the core and hold thesame. Itis obvious that when the flange 12, which carries the core 10,is moved toitch of the screw formed by the vanes, wil be lessened andthe aggregate width from the outer edges of the vanes to the center ofthe core will be increased. Thus the outer edges of the vanes which aresharpened, are caused to bite into the wall of the well opening and` tomake lateral pressure toward the said wall, thereby digging themselvesin and positively gripping the wall of the well.

The end of the core which pro'ects below the ring 20 is externally screwt readed so as to be screwed into the upper end of a valve casing 23. Avalve seat 24 is arranged in the casing and receives a valve 25 havln astem 26 passing thru a spider 27 dispose above said valve seat. A coiledspring 28 is confined on the valve stem between the spider and a head 29on the upper end of sald stem. By this arrangement the valve is drawnupwardly into the seat 24 so as to prevent the passage of a liquid intothe core 10, but permittin the downward llow by unseating said va ve. Asimilar valve 23 is mounted on the upper end of the core within thesleeve 11 and 'is constructed in the same manner so as to prevent anupward passage of the liquid. The valve 23 is not absolutely necessaryand is used in a precautionary manner so that should the lower valve 23become inoperative the upper check valve will operate. It is to beunderstood that any suitable form` of cheek valve permitting a downwardflow thru the core, but preventing an upward flow therethru, could eused and the invention is not to be limited to the details ofconstruction which are illustrated and described.

In use the plu arran ed as shown in Fig. 1, is lowere into t e well. AsVthe plug descends water may be pumped from the top of thel casing downthru the core 10 and in its passage will unseat the check valves as isobvious. Should the pumpin of the water stop for any reason or shoulrglits llow be overcome by a back pressure, the valves will seat andprevent a'counter acting low thru the core. The water which is pumpedthru the core 10 creates a circulation down thru the casing so that themud and sand is held in suspension and prevented from packingi orsettling. This is ver important as it eeps the hole free and ena les theplug to be seated at the desired place. When the plug is in properposition the anchor pipe 21 which is of suitable length, engages thebottom of the well. The' plug is lowered below the casing and thehelical vanes do not engage the side walls of the casing, but engage inthe wall of the well hole. Tools are used to force the sleeve 11downwardly toward the ring 20. The core 10 passes thru the slips 19which act to prevent a reverse movement of said core and to hold thevanes in a compressed position. The vanesgrip the well wall and afterthe device is in proper position, cement or other packing material maybe introduced as much being added as may be desired. In order to providea means for holding a sealing medium in the helical vanes, a number ofopenings 22 are provided in the edges of the vanes and serve asanchorage for the sealing medium, and thru which wires not shown, may berun if desired to better hold the sealing medium in place, this being acommon expedient, illustration is not deemed necessary. As the inventionrelates to the tubular core and the check valves, it is not believednecessary to go into the details of the manner of seating and packingthe plug.

Various changes in the size and construction of the parts as well asmodifications,

may be made without departing from the l spirit of the invention.

What I claim, is

1. In a wash down plug apparatus, the combination with a pi e ine, of asleeve secured to its lower en said sleeve having a head at its lowerend and 'provided within said head with an opening, a tubular corehaving a smaller diameter than the pipe line and having its upper endheld withm the opening of said head with the head extending laterallybeyond the tubular core, an anchor pipe to engage the bottom of thesame, a tu ular nipple secured to the anchor pipe and slidably receivingthe tubular core, said tubular nipple extending radiall beyond the coreand the core projecting ownwardly beyond the tubular nipple, helicalvanes surrounding the tubular core and connected with the head of thesleeve and the ing a valve casing secured to the lower end of thetubular core and beneath the nipple and arranged within the anchor pipe,said check valve structure providing means whereby the circulation ofwater may be had downwardly through the anchor pipe and upwardlyexteriorly of the same.

2. In a wash down plug ap aratus, the combination with a pipe line, o acoupling element connected therewithfa tubular core connected with thecoupling element and having a smaller diameter than the pipe line, atubular coupling slidably receiving the lower portion of the tubularcore and extending radially beyond the same, means for effecting alocking engagement between the tubular nipple and core, flexible meansarranged between. the sleeve and tubular nipmedie? ple, and surroundingthe tubular core, an anchor pipe secured to the lower end of the tubularnipple with the tubular core projecting downwardly below the tubularnip- 5 ple to enter the anchor pipe, and a check Valve structureembodying a valve casing mounted within the anchor pipe beneath thetubular nip le and secured to the lower end of the tubu ar core, saidcheck valve structure providing means whereby water may 1 be circulateddownwardly within the anchor pipe and upwardly eXteriorly thereof.

In testimony whereof l ax my signature.

RGBERT A. WLSON..

